The 'Write 1,000 Words a Day Challenge' is almost over and so far I have written... 38,864 for February and there's only a few days left. I did want to reach 45,000 words by the end of it all but that remains to be seen because, I've burned out. Which is hardly surprising since I have the attention span of the ten year-old I used to be and when Word is connected to the same device that gives me as much internet as I'd like, it makes it hard to concentrate.

I'm somebody who often procrastinates. I always put things off and say to myself, 'oh, I'll write after this song or after this video' but then that video turns into two videos and that three-minute song turns into a ten-minute gigatrack by 'Opeth' for example. Then, I'll get cracking with something worthwhile, ala, writing. Happily, I've started my new novel which I'm keeping a secret for the meantime since I'm known to cancel out projects in order to start them another time. Remember that sci-fi idea I wrote about earlier? Yep, that's been thrown away for now as I'm not at all ready to board a spaceship to an entirely new universe for a series of books. There are other stories I want written, edited and twiddled with before I can even think about something as arduous as a sci-fi series.

And, it's just such a 'cancelled project' I left alone last year that I've brought back from the brink, started over and began to re-write. The problem with that book (which I shall code-name ALWC) is that I had written it in the wrong perspective. I prefer the first instead of third-person perspective and I also made the MC way too young for the story and all of the silly things I did with writing had overgrown my original manuscript. That manuscript had been abandoned past 50,000 words. 50K words bound for the dumpster! I'm sure like many of us, maybe ALL OF US feel like we're killing our babies when we throw out rubbish work. But, never get rid of them altogether. The manuscript may be torn asunder but if the story's good enough, if you feel strong enough about it, I reckon it'll find a secluded corner in your brain-box, stay there for a while and when it's time, it'll surface, tug at your sleeve and ask for another go-around. In fact, I know there's another novel waiting for another chance after ALWC is done with and that novel I had finished. Sadly, I realized it just wouldn't cut it with publishers since the story gets started halfway through. And, that's just no way to write or read a book.

I may have digressed a little from my original topic but, to make it plain: writing one thousand words a day is bloody hard. It's difficult to find the time to jam in those 1K words when I'm editing one of my novels for the last time before it's finished but I'll get there. Despite that I'm way over the monthly target, when I miss a day of 1K words, that's a day wasted. I want to write everyday and I try my best (most of the time) to do so but dammit if I'll switch off my internet. Some will switch it off (including me from time to time) but ordinarily, I make it through because if you're that engrossed in your own story, you probably won't want to leave Word. There are faint beacons of light on the horizon though, I've done well with the challenge, my novel I've been editing is SO CLOSE TO COMPLETION, and I've got a brand-spanking new book underway that reads and flows a hell of a lot better than the original manuscript. Plus, a novella I'll edit next month (more on that next week I think) and new ideas all queued up such as a new novel which I suspect I'll start just before the summer. For me, at least, that's a lot of work... I mean, a lot of writing!

Plus, I thought I might share ten songs that are at the top of my playlist each week. You know, a little sharing.Top ten for this week:

'Guest List' by the Eels

'Death' by White Lies

'Language' by Porter Robinson

'Vandalism' by Porter Robinson

'Unison' by Porter Robinson

'Bookstore Remix' which you can find on YouTube by searching 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind remixes'

For this week's post I thought I'd share two of my favourite things: the film, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and the book, 'Looking for Alaska'.

For me, books, videogames and films I love (and I mean, really love) must be watched once a year, maybe twice. That way when I watch the film or read the book, it feels, SPECIAL. There are loads of films I can watch plenty of times such as 'Dumb and Dumber' or 'Burn After Reading' and I'll still laugh but it won't feel all that special. They're just really funny films that make you curl up with laughter. Only in 'Burn After Reading' is it funny when George Clooneny stumbles across Brad Pitt in his wardrobe and shoots him in the face or when a policeman tells Harry to pull over in 'Dumb and Dumber'.

So, last Saturday I decided to pop in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' for my fourth viewing, the last time I saw it before then was last year in February! Once I started watching it nothing else mattered, it felt like Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet were just living for me. That might sound cheesy, but it did. Since I hadn't seen it in so long, I'd forgotten a lot of the scenes but of course I remembered loads. It's one of those films that captivated me from the first frame and the ending is awesome too. The soundtrack gets loads of hits from me on YouTube and it makes for lovely writing music. I may be a sucker for love stories (only some though) but what's great about 'Eternal Sunshine' is that it's original, or at least I think so. Jim Carrey plays somebody who we're not used to seeing, a mundane kind of guy who feels a little lost in the world. Not Lloyd Christmas or Ace Ventura. It's a perfect blend of uplifting scenes to melancholy emotion.

Now, it's been just about a year since I read my favourite ever book, 'Looking for Alaska' written by John Green. It's simple enough on the outside: a teenage boy goes to an Alabama boarding school and meets a girl called Alaska Young and he tells the reader about their adventures. But, it's what they get up to at Culver Creek is what's interesting and the cast is so well written and believable that I didn't want the book to end. It was one of those books that I got genuinely excited about reading later. I probably read between 50-100 pages each time I started it and when it ends, well, I wish it hadn't. There aren't many books I can think of that made me super excited to read in the day, 'The Road' and Tom Rob Smith's books spring to mind but other than those, I can't think of any. I love books, don't get me wrong but only some have affected me in such a way that 'Alaska' did.

Of course, I'm a nerd, I like videogames and one of which, 'Red Dead Redemption' also holds a place in my favourites. I mean, it's set in the dying age of the American Old West and John Marston is such a phenomenal protagonist. Like 'Eternal' and 'Alaska', I have to start and finish this at least once a year because when I do, yeah, you guessed it. Special. Mind you, 'Grand Theft Auto V' is quickly earning its place among my favourites but the online component is just so good that I can't stop playing it. I checked, I've played 272 hours online. Somebody get me a life!

This post certainly has a whiff of geekiness about it but, that's OK. I thought I'd share some of my favourite things and what makes them special to me. If you have any (you probably do) then I'd love to hear them. Oh yeah, I should mention that this doesn't apply to music. My favourite albums are: Avril Lavigne 'Under My Skin', Rise Against 'The Sufferer & the Witness' and Frank Turner 'Love, Ire & Song'. I listen to those albums ALL OF THE TIME. Some songs in those LPs do feel special though like 'Jet Lag' by Frankie T, 'How Does it Feel' by Avril and 'Behind Closed Doors' by Rise.

Last year, I joined a few Yeovil Creative Writers on a challenge to write 1,000 words a day. No rules, write whatever you like as long as you reach 1,000 words by bedtime. In my mind before I took the challenge I thought that it would be a doddle. 'I mean,' I'd say, 'I do near enough 1,000 a day anyway.' No, I was wrong. It took a while to get a 1,000 words a day but at the end of it I had around 29,000 to 33,000 words done I think. And now, I've accepted the challenge again!

We chose February, it's less days than the others so a few days easier. Still bloody hard to achieve! Now, I like to think I've come a long way with writing since 2013, I know what to expect of myself and I understand that there will come those days when I won't feel like writing at all. That's usually when I decide to read or spend a few hours in Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto V but they don't happen as often these days. This used to bug me, loads. I used to get furious with myself when I didn't feel like writing because I felt as though I had let myself down. 'Oh, there you go! You've wasted another day, try again!' I'm not like that anymore. Writing is hard and most of the time I have to wind down watching YouTube videos and listen to music before I can get started. We all have ways that help us.

So, getting those 1,000 words down. For me it helps to know I have a project underway. I'm writing something new, something sci-fi and that's what my creative mind thinks about these days so I can knock out a good thousand for it. However, when I have nothing going, starting to write is harder than ever. I'm not somebody who can conjure up a short story instantly, writing blind isn't easy for me but I try anyway. Sometimes I can do it but most of the time I can't. I usually do have something I can work on anyway which is great, I always try and keep my writing self busy.

It's probably a good time to mention that a routine is worth keeping when writing. I tend to write in the mornings (usually after an hour of doing nothing online) and then later in the afternoon I'll write some more (again after doing nothing online) and maybe I'll write a bit more in the evening. Usually, I'm done in the afternoon. I don't tend to try and stick to a word count every day, mind. Although, I have to for the challenge. I used to always try for 1,000 words EVERY day and got really angry if I failed. Now, though, I find it far more important to forget about a word count every day and just jot the freaking story down! Authors will always say different things so it's difficult to decide who is right and wrong but I believe nobody is. I like to look at these so-called rules more as guidelines. Isn't anything creative supposed to be free? None the less, when writing (out of challenges) I just stick to getting the story down but in the back of my mind I have those pesky 1K words fighting for attention. But, I do expect a minimum of 500 words a day. Some people may say 'OH! That's nothing!' and I say good for you. I'll work how I want to and what works for me.

To sum up, don't listen to anyone, not even me. If you want to achieve 2,000 words a day, go right for it. 500? Go right ahead. None of us work the same, I'm not coffee mad like loads of people (although, I do like coffee a lot) and I'm not keen on shutting out the curtains and working in darkness. I work in natural light, with a messy desk, music in the background (when not writing most of the time) and my mind on other stuff. I get the bad days like everybody else. Find a way that works for you and if it creates results, stick to it.

OK, so I'm reading an eBook for the first time and I wanted to share my thoughts on this digital revolution that's laying into books these days.

A lot of people like to have a downer on eReaders. What I hear most of all is, 'but, you can't beat a proper book!' and let me just tell you that that isn't what's important. What's important is the story, the content, the characters, the ideas and you know, the actual words themselves. Books are just well-produced things that keep the story safe and sound. Until you drop it in the toilet that is!

I've always read from books and that's because, like many of us, its the only thing at hand for good stories. Sure, there are plenty of websites that cater for your story needs such as Readwave and Fanfiction but reading off a screen hurts my eyes after a while and since its connected to the internet I tend to get distracted and watch YouTube videos. That's me anyway. Books are wonderful things but its all we've had, at least us 20th/21st Century boys and girls. The eReader is the next step. But, they do have their problems.

I'm reading 'The Cuckoo's Calling' on a Nook 7" and its great. I thought I wouldn't like it and I admit, using the Nook to begin with felt different, somewhat alien and holding a 'book' that didn't unfold threw me but you get over that quickly. It's not as if I'm reading my favourite book either. If anything, I'm probably reading my most hated book because 'The Cuckoo's Calling' is in a genre I hate the most- crime. The book is great though, to my surprise, it's very good. No, the Nook is really nice, good screen, easy to use and it doesn't take an age to boot up either- a second in fact. Maybe with the more books installed that will change but at the moment, it is joyous. Nooks, like all eReaders though do have their problems. One of which is that it will run out of power and although battery life is quite good, it still needs recharging. Not a back breaker but books might just be the only source of entertainment (for me anyway) that doesn't require power. If there's a blackout then no lights are a problem but nothing a candle can't cure. Just don't light the pages on fire. It might just be me but reading from the Nook does give me a little headache (diddums!), mind you, spending an hour or two on Xbox Live with my mates probably doesn't help.

I do prefer a book though. I like the texture and I reckon one of the biggest 'unspoken' reasons why we prefer books is because that's how we've always consumed our novels. Give it a hundred years and I'll bet you, I'll bet you the seesaw will tilt towards the eBook and then everybody will prefer the eBook. Then, some people may collect books like some still collect vinyl. The future truly is a wonderful thing.

Other than those small things, eReaders are wonderful little things and to moan about how eReaders may eventually kill off the book is as pointless as wishing you were younger. Things change. Look at the music industry. There were vinyls, then CDs (maybe something before CDs) then downloads and now it seems worthless to purchase a CD when downloads are much cheaper. Like downloads though, eBooks' biggest quality I think is space and if you're anything like me, you may find that your space for CDs and books is declining by day and when you see more paperbacks than carpet on the floor then a Kindle, Kobo or whatever is going to be a godsend. I'm not particularly interested with keeping physical collections anymore (with music at least) so I do spend more time purchasing downloads but I always love keeping a book collection. There will come a time when I'll purchase an eReader but until then, I'll keep stepping over my floor-bound books and use shoe boxes as storage for them as well.